Rocking horse



E. U. PUGH ROCKING HORSE Aug. 31, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1944 zdwa a za fugiz Aug. 31, 1948. PUSH 2,448,390

ROCKING HORSE Filed April 5, 1944 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 f; 55 I: l Z5 z? Z9 /Z Z7 35 /Z gal/umzazwarczafugh A I r '7 5 /Z ally/ Patented Aug. 31 1948 answ rer. A :16 Claims.

This invention relates to a tey or -rocking horse as used by children for-amusement.

fit is particularly aimed to provide such an article as will not only rock -forward and-backwards; but will liave a second "or additional' forward movement and-backward I movement both caused by the rocking of the toy or article bya child s-eated thereon.

"Furthen it is aimed to provide an exceedingly simple and durable construction, one which will not tip over, one which may be manufactured at minimum st,,and ,a structure which may be caused to advance to the right or'le'ft through the momentum of the body of the :rider.

The more specific objects and-advantages wi l become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings-.-

Figure 1 is a plan view of the rocking horse;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section with one sid emo d Figure 'B isa vertical-section taken on the plane of line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary inverted plan view.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, In generally designates a body which may be made in any suitable size or configuration, to simulate a horse, any other animal or object. As shown, the body has opposite side members at H which preferably diverge downwardly as best shown in Figures 3 and 4. The lower edges of such side members H are convex at 12 so that they constitute rockers. These side members may be painted or delineated in any suitable manner to aid in carrying out the representation or simulation of a horse, other animal or object, and any of the parts may similarly be painted or finished with the same end in view.

End pieces l3 are adapted to be secured in place between the side members H by glueing, nailing, or in any suitable manner.

I also employ a crown strip l4 disposed between and fastened to the side members H at the top and this strip may be continued and finished in representation of a horses head IS. A horses tail element l6 may be fastened in any suitable manner in a socket ll of such strip l4.

An axle I8 is rotatably mounted by and between the side members ll slightly closer to the front than to the rear, and a pair of wheels or rollers 2 -I:9.;are journaled thereon vandiextend slightly thelow 1 the surface 12. A spacing sleeve .20 :is mountednn the axle 1,8 between the rollers L9 and the latter :are further positioned by page 21 ren-. asing the axle.

Forwardly of the axle 1 118andaboveithesame, a cross :brace '22 is interfitted with :andsecured to thesidewmembers H at 23. An inclined steering 13051314 :-is journaled :iman opening .25 in the-crown strip :or Ib-lock M .andrin .an opening/2 6 5111 the cross brace :22. Below the cross Ibrace, :postfill as at 5251, is fastenedtn an axlewmzandi-azspacing sleeve. 43 surrounds the :post between the cross brace 22 and the .axle. -Such :axle rotatably mounts wheels 129 .=whose peripheries extend slightly rbelowthezronkensurfaces 4.2. The wheels 29. are cheldzin place on axle :28 by terminaltfianges 311.;pins3zl and spacing :sl-eeves, 32.

A saddle "33 :is provided .on the. crown block or stripal l 17.0 enable .s'eati-ng of the :child'inproximitytoiatbar 34 ewhich isffastened to the post i-n-suchxmanner as :to enable turning. of the-bar 34 and :steeringof the post and-wheelsrflfi. Aucollar 35 1511-1'11011Il'd8fl3h8 :post 124 :between :the blockcl'fl-ian-du bar and flexible straps or the equivalent 36 may extend to the head of the animal from the bar 34. Stirrup members 31 may be located on the outer surfaces of the side elements A lever 38 is freely suspended from a short shaft 39 anchored in the crown block I4 and side members H approximately centrally and adjacent the top. It is desired to hold the lever 38 so that in its movement it will not rub against the inner surfaces of the side members I l and to this end, the lever 38 is bifurcated to provide a slot 45) receiving and fitting the crown block H! as best shown in Figure 4. The lower end of the lever has an arcuate surface 4| as shown, which at the rear end, is slightly lower than the rocker edges l2 as shown in Figure 2. It is also to be noted that adjacent the lower edge, lever 38 is cut away at the front as at 42 to enable the lever to move closer to the roller 20 and assume a vertical position.

In using the toy, the child is seated at 33 and he rocks his body forward and backward to impart corresponding movement to the toy in view of the rocker edges [2. The device will travel either indoors or outdoors on a concrete sidewalk, a boardwalk, or any reasonably hard flat surface. As the child rocks, he may steer the toy by moving the bar 34 and in addition to the rocking movement, when he moves forward and backward, the lever 38 will by gravity move from the full-line position of Figure 2 to the dotted-line position of the same figure, serving as a strut to give the horse an extra lunge so that the horse will be given two distinct forward moves, one as it rocks forward and one as it is rocked backward.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A structure of the class described comprising a body having a rocking surface, a lever suspended thereon extending slightly below the rocking surface, and roller means carried by the body and extending slightly below said rocking surface in advance of the lever, said roller means having a fixed axis disposed relatively close to the center of gravity of said body.

2. A structure of the class described comprising a body having a rocking surface, a lever suspended thereon extending slightly below the rocking surface, roller means carried by the body and extending slightly below said rocking surface in advance of the lever, said lever being cut away, at a portion thereof to enable it to more closely approach the roller means.

3. A structure of the class described comprising a body having a rocking surface, a lever suspended thereon extending slightly below the rocking surface, roller means carried by the body and extending slightly below said rocking surface in advance of the lever, said lever being cut away at a portion thereof to enable it to more closely approach the roller means, a saddle on the body, and asteering roller means carried by the body and operable by the occupant of said seat.

4.A structure of the class described comprising inclined side members, said members having rocker edges, crown means connecting said side members, a lever freely pivoted to the crown means, said lever having a slot fitting it to the crown means to avoid contact with the inner surfaces of the side members, said lever being cut away at a portion thereof to enable it to more closely approach the roller means, and said lever 4 having its lower end extending slightly below the rocker edges.

5. A structure of the class described comprising inclined side members, said members having rocker edges, crown means connecting said side members, a lever freely pivoted to the crown means, said lever having a slot fitting it to the crown means to avoid contact with the inner surfaces of the side members, said lever having its lower end extending slightly below the rocker edges, a steeering post journaled in the crown means, and steering roller means mounted by the steering post and extending slightly below the rocker edges.

6. A structure of the class described comprising inclined side members, said members having rocker edges, crown means connecting said side members, a lever freely pivoted to the crown means, said lever having a slot fitting it to the crown means to avoid contact with the inner surfaces of the side members, said lever having its lower end extending slightly below the rocker edges, a steering post journaled in the crown means, steering roller means mounted by the steering post and extending slightly below the rocker edges, a cross bar between the side members in which the post is journaled, roller means behind the steering rollers, said lever being cut away to enable closer relative-movement of the same and roller means. 1

EDWARD U. PUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 22, 1932 

